Question about charging to Magic Band

[Scrappygrrl]

Hi all -
I am staying onsite and have completed online checkin, providing a credit card for charges. However, I would prefer to pay off my charges with Disney Gift cards.
How often do they charge to your credit card? Nightly? Or do they wait until check out?
Just wondering how and when I should provide them with the gift cards so that my credit card does not get charged.
Thanks for anyone help you can provide.

 

[erionm]

You will have a preset charging limit based on the resort category. Once you reach the limit, the charges will be put through on the CC and your balance reset to zero. NOTE: Ticket purchases will be processed to the CC immediately. They will process any remaining balance during the very early morning hours of your check-out day.

Values & Moderates: $1500
Deluxe & Deluxe Villas (DVC): $2000

 

[walker0829]

If you don't use your magic band then you won't have charges. Use your gift cards to pay in place of a magic band and then when you run out you can switch. I believe they cleared my balance by charging my card every day or 2.

 

[msmama]

Like above poster said, but if you don't reach any of those limits then your CC will be charged the night before you check out (my threshold is to have everything paid for by 8pm but I'm not sure if that's my rule or if Disney starts charging around that time).

There have been some rumors of them charging before the thresholds are reached so to be safe, I'd go down every night or every other night to pay off your balance.

Also, sometimes (though it's getting rarer and rarer these days) if you pay off your (for example) $200 balance with a gift card that has $400 on it, they MAY be able to keep that $200 as a credit. It used to be more common that they could do it, but it's been a long while since I've encountered anyone who could/would do it. Worth asking though.

 

[walker0829]

There have been some rumors of them charging before the thresholds are reached so to be safe, I'd go down every night or every other night to pay off your balance.

When I was at Poly last September they were charging well before the threshold because it's a once a day process(though I'm sure if you asked them they could charge on demand). They said they did it to avoid any problems the next day.

It was a bit weird because my room was booked through an agency so I started with a huge credit and then each day I was billed for the room+taxes. Anything I charged would take from that credit as well so I ended up burning through my credit well before the end of the trip and then the room charge(in addition to meals, other charges) started causing my card to be charged more regularly.

 

[hakepb]

Now, you can combine gift cards online (up to $1000) that makes carrying 1 gift card much easier than managing a stack of cards used to be.

 

[Alesia]

Now, you can combine gift cards online (up to $1000) that makes carrying 1 gift card much easier than managing a stack of cards used to be.

But if you lose it, you're screwed. There is no way I would carry around a gift card with that much money on it.

 

[larissawbb]

But if you lose it, you're screwed. There is no way I would carry around a gift card with that much money on it.

One useful thing I picked up from this board was to set up an empty card on disneygiftcard.com. Keep the empty card in your room safe. If you lose your primary gift card , you could then log in and transfer the balance to the empty card. It's not foolproof. Someone could find the card before you notice it gone but at least it's something.

 

[hakepb]

But if you lose it, you're screwed. There is no way I would carry around a gift card with that much money on it.

My last trip, I just pre-loaded each day's budgeted amount onto the same card...that was more lazy than worry, but same result.

 

[ellie05]

OP don't worry too much about it. Worst case scenario they can refund your card and charge it to the gift card.

 

[MrsHammer]

What if you want to pay off part of the room balance with gift cards? I have a room only reservation, so my balance is due at check in. Do I just go the desk when I get there and give them the gift cards? What concerns me is that I've read some people have said their credit cards were charged for the balance on the day of arrival, but very early before they even got to Orlando. I don't really want to call and do it before we leave, just because of the outside chance of having to cancel at the last minute. I don't want to lose that money.

 

[larissawbb]

What if you want to pay off part of the room balance with gift cards? I have a room only reservation, so my balance is due at check in. Do I just go the desk when I get there and give them the gift cards? What concerns me is that I've read some people have said their credit cards were charged for the balance on the day of arrival, but very early before they even got to Orlando. I don't really want to call and do it before we leave, just because of the outside chance of having to cancel at the last minute. I don't want to lose that money.

You can call CRO before arrival and pay off the room only reservation over the phone with gift cards. I did this last November so I had a zero balance due at check in.

 

[larissawbb]

I forgot to mention that room only reservations can only be paid in gift cards over the phone. I couldn't do it on MDE.

 

[minnie mum]

You can call CRO before arrival and pay off the room only reservation over the phone with gift cards. I did this last November so I had a zero balance due at check in.

Yes, go ahead and pay it off with your gift cards before you arrive. If you have to cancel at the last minute, you'll only lose the original deposit. The rest would be refunded ( it would be put back on those gift cards, so DONT THROW THEM AWAY!)

 

[MermaidMommy]

You will have a preset charging limit based on the resort category. Once you reach the limit, the charges will be put through on the CC and your balance reset to zero. NOTE: Ticket purchases will be processed to the CC immediately. They will process any remaining balance during the very early morning hours of your check-out day.

Values: $500
Moderates: $1000
Deluxe: $1500
Deluxe Villas (DVC Resorts): $2000

I believe they changed those amounts last year. The new charging limits are:

Value/Moderates: $1500
Deluxe/DVC: $2000

 

[bumbershoot]

One useful thing I picked up from this board was to set up an empty card on disneygiftcard.com. Keep the empty card in your room safe. If you lose your primary gift card , you could then log in and transfer the balance to the empty card. It's not foolproof. Someone could find the card before you notice it gone but at least it's something.

I love that idea.


OP, once there's a charge on your account, then go to the front desk and put down the GCs.

Though honestly I'd just forget room charging and just charge to the GCs. But that's my own personal feeling. I have never found charging to the room to be any more convenient than charging to a card in my possession. And since you're now having to go back to the front desk *at least* once (probably more depending on if they'll allow a credit on your account or not), it's lost all convenience IMO.

 

[supersnoop]

I love that idea.


OP, once there's a charge on your account, then go to the front desk and put down the GCs.

Though honestly I'd just forget room charging and just charge to the GCs. But that's my own personal feeling. I have never found charging to the room to be any more convenient than charging to a card in my possession. And since you're now having to go back to the front desk *at least* once (probably more depending on if they'll allow a credit on your account or not), it's lost all convenience IMO.

Simply paying with the gift card is a good idea, but there are times when charging back to the room makes more sense. If you're a large group where one person qualifies for a discount but someone else wants to pay the bill, you can charge it to the room and the other person can pay at the front desk. And, while not gift card related, some credit cards give more cash back for hotels, so charging a gift shop or restaurant tab back to the room can be a good idea.

 

[tlovesdis]

When I went last year I had lots of gift cards, so on my second day, when we got back from the parks I paid my balance down and then the night before we were checking out I did again. I loved just using the band and not fishing out a card or carrying all the cards around with me (this was before you could combine them!).

 

[hiroMYhero]

I believe they changed those amounts last year. The new charging limits are:

Value/Moderates: $1500
Deluxe/DVC: $2000

Yes, you are correct. We stayed at CSR last month and our charging limit was $1500.

 

[erikajoe]

They charged my credit card nightly. I went every night to pay off my charges with gift cards but it was already charged to my AMEX every time. She just refunded the card and did the gift card but it was kind of a pain.